Galen, a Northern Ireland-based pharmaceutical company, has acquired Synera (lidocaine 70mg/tetracaine 70mg) topical patch from ZARS Pharma, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nuvo Research. Synera is indicated for use on intact skin to provide local dermal analgesia for superficial venous access and superficial dermatological procedures such as excision, electrodessication and shave biopsy of skin lesions. Galen U.S., a wholly owned subsidiary of Galen, will market and sell Synera in the U.S.

“Synera addresses a need to provide local dermal analgesia, particularly in children three years or older,” said Andrew Shales, Galen general manager. “Hospitalized patients are routinely subjected to multiple superficial venous access procedures such as IV infusions and blood draws. We entered the U.S. market in 2012 and this acquisition provides us with the opportunity to offer innovative technology for patients needing local dermal analgesia.”